N.C. wildfire creates visibility, health concerns
Unhealthy smoke from an eastern North Carolina wildfire has become so thick that it is causing visibility problems in the area around the blaze, officials said Sunday.
Posted — UpdatedFirefighters used Sunday's stagnant conditions to improve containment lines around the fire that's burned in and around the Pocosin Lakes Wildlife Refuge.
Map: Progress of the fire
In the map below, the area of the fire is designated in red. Pushpins signal poor air quality reports, with the darker pins indicating reports of limited visibility due to the smoke in the air.
North Carolina has already spent nearly $2.7 million fighting the fire, and 578 workers were supporting that effort Sunday. The fire has not caused any injures and has not burned any homes. The fire started June 1 from lightning strikes on private land.
Protect yourself from wildfire smoke
- Reduce time outdoors. This can provide protection, especially in a tightly closed house where the air-conditioner can re-circulate air instead of bringing in outdoor air.
- Reduce time engaged in outdoor physical activity. This can be effective in lowering the dose of inhaled air pollutants.
- Reduce other sources of indoor air pollution that can emit the same pollutants found in wildfire smoke. Indoor sources such as burning cigarettes, gas, propane and wood-burning stoves and furnaces, and activities such as cooking, burning candles and incense and vacuuming can greatly increase the particle levels in a home and should be avoided when wildfire smoke is present.
The state Division of Public Health lists the symptoms of smoke exposure as:
- coughing
- scratchy throat
- shortness of breath
- irritated sinuses
- chest pain
- headaches
- stinging eyes
- runny nose
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